Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-02-17
A Stray.


the shadows against the black deadened hills,
Ms the workmen swarmed out OF the pit and
dragged weary, stiffened limbs along the diff
ferent paths leading TO the habitations above.
Very grotesque some OF them were, with
blackened faces, from which eyes gazed out
with the weary pathos one sees in the eyes OF
oxen. with bent figures and stopped shoulders
from work in rooms where the roof was often
not four feet from the floor, where water lay
in pools and bred rheumatism in joints, warm
ed by the sun all too seldom.
The motley nature of the mining village was
shown by the different dialects in which the
conversations we're carried on, the broad
surred intonation of the English miner; the
round, rollicking tones with the note Of q
caress In 1t that is native TO the land St. Pat
rick loved; the soft decided voice of Scotland
and, as a background for this fiotsam and
jetsam that is drfted to us by the ocean, was
heard the sharp, slightly nasal voice of the
native Of our Middle States.
But different as was their nationality, their
minds seemed to run much In the same groove.
There was some dissatisfaction with the rec
ord Of the da s work. and menaces omnibus
TO the managers were exchanged with curses
and cenching of black, hardened hands.
woman standing at the top of the rickety
steps leading up the face of the cliff above the
mines. Back of her was a row of bare, un-
painted houses where the workmen lived;
some of the women were about the doors,
slouchy and dishevelled, calling out to one an
other and To the children in coarse, shrll
voices. which now and then laugh and
joke with the homecoming workmen. Only
the woman at the steps stood alone silent.
few nodded TO her; only one man spoke to her
in passing, while many looked at her IN way
that made her face flush and her teeth set.
She was handsomer tnan anyth ng they ever
saw about the pits mouth, but the husbands
sons and lovers knew better than to greet her
before the eyes of their women folks. Four
years ago she had learned that and ignored
them. men and women, ever since, only she
could not but see the glances that needed no
Interpretation 10 bring flush to her brown
cheek and cold stare of bravado into her
gray eyes.
The one man who spoke TO her was not a
good sight to look at. He had partially washed
the coal dust from his face at the tank by the
pit-enough TO show deep blue scars furrowed
In his face by blast of powder.
Good evenn' to ye Kate" he said as he
reached the level where she stood. Here is
the lad, ye'd better watch him about these
steps, it's bad place for little chaps" and he
swung from his shoulder sturdy little Yellow
haired boy of tour years.
81 amt scared, he announced with lisp.
81 want Dan to carry me, carry me up"
What's the matter down there" asked
Kate with nod towards the pit. Something
wrongr
ooh, yes; same old story, some o. the men
docked a half car because wee bit o. slate
happened in, an the new cars are short weight
they say. The men won't put up with much
more, and some o. them are maken ugly
threats
WHO do they threatenp,
Mighty near all the officials, the new over
seer young Hepburn, in particular"
"Nhy so!n
"They think he might appeal for them to the
company to have the rules changed about the
weight measurements But he's only bit of
ayoungster himself, and hasn't much back
bone, though he is the doctors nephew, an
they don't much like the idea of college bred
young man over them. One o. the men as has
worked in the mine himself would suit them
better-not that blame them much-though
for the doctors sake there'd be many a man
stand up for him." he added as he walked on
20 the company boarding house
The woman, leading the child, turned also
from the steps towards the little cabin she
called home, around the Imprinted boards Of
which clambered morning gories, while at the
back could be seen tall sunfowers and holly
hooks that bOrdered the little square of a gar
den where a few sickly-looking vegetables
were coaxed into existence, showing to the
curious that its owner must nave come from
farm. Otherwise how came she with knowl-
edge Of the needs of her plants or q patience
that would carry rich loan In baskets from
the woods In order TO have bit of green in
the IN DIST Of the red clay and the black coal
dust around heri 1t was the only attempt at
garden on the cliffs. Tenants have small
encouragement 10 improve or cultivate ground
belonging to coal companies, as under exist ng
rules, they are, In many places, elected on four
days notice for the most paltry OF porvoca-
lions.
As she passed window OF the company
boardng-hUuse she heard voice say:
'Hello, Dan had nice chat with Kate out
therei Yer getting 10 be great friends"
well, ! should hope Dan Amt so hard up as
10 pick up friends among iramps and straysP'
That's enough said .he man called Dan.
''I'll not be lettin' man or woman speak
against her when Pm In hearen. The doctor
says have to thank her fer the sight o. my
eyes this minute. 1t was her nursin' more
than his medicine rs saved 'em when / got
burnt with the powder. ! tell We there wasn't
another woman in the place would looked at
me without gettn' sick. But Katel Why,
she Jest walked in and helped Doc take care OF
me as II ] was handsome as a picture book; ;
an she's done good turns To lots OF the boys,
though some OF them are too mean to speak
up for her, an she's got more learnin' than
most folks here though she is only stray"
The girl walked on to her own door aud sat
down YEARLY on the wooden step, while the
child scampered after pet kitten.
A strayl That was all -Four years since
she came first, big-eyed girl OF seventeen,
dusty and foot-sore from long travel-from
where they never knew-and when she sank
fainting on o door step and was carried inside
the one tavern In :he place, there was much
wonder among the people as to who she could
be; and when the doctor laid her child in her
arms and asked IL there was any word he
could send for her TO her husband or relatives,
she only looked at the babes pink fower-like
face In a half-curious, hslf-loving way, as IL In
doubt whether IL coulu be hers, and then,
drawing u close, she looked squarey at the
doctor, and said: ''There is no one"
In small place gossip soon spreads, and ere
long the community knew that the tramp WIS
mother but no wife-a thing 10 be Stunned
by the virtuous-to be pitied, after fashion,
but to be left alone She was penniess and
Without friends. The doctors voice was the
only Kind one she had heard since the day the
child was born, and he looked on her plying
~, perhaps helped to IL by the memory OF q lit
Vie daughters grave over the bill, whose occu-
pant would have been this girls age had she
lived. sober man of forty years he was. q
kindly, Christian gentleman who had settled
among them years ago, when the wife and ba-
by daughter had dropped into their eternal
sleep while on visit to this mountain of the
Alleghanies. He was held In much respect BY
the people. His kindly han is had eased many
broken bone or crushed limb among them,
and he did what he could TO soften the harsh
judgment OF the villagers towards this girl,
and bis best was little
Two weeks after coming he ventured on the
subject OF her destination and intentions. so
far she said nothing except her name, and
when asked, she said, Kate" that was all.
The doctor found her as usual looking with
unseeing eyes across the hills. seemingly heed